Improved water-wheel



s UNITED STATES ATENT Fries.4 v

I. M. HANNAS, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVED WATER-WHEEL.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l, dated October 29, 1861.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, P. M. HANNAS, of Easton, Northampton county, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Water-Wheels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the lettersot reference marked thereon.

My' invention relates to improvements in horizontal water-wheels arranged to revolve in a stationary casing; and myimprovemen ts consist, first, in a peculiar construction of the gate-box, whereby Vaccess can be had to the interior of the casing without removing it from its foundation; secondly, incertain rings, describedhereinafter, in combination with an annular plate, and the devices hereinafter described or their equivalents, whereby the rings may be moved from and toward each other and more or less water admitted to the wheel by the movement of the said annular plate; thirdly, in so connecting the said rings to the gate that the movement ot the former shall depend upon that of the latter; fourthly, in the'general construction and arrangement of the parts composingthe wheel, as explained hereinafter.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation.

On reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure l is a vertical section of the exterior casing of my improved water-wheel, showing the guides for directing the water and the rings for regulating the amount of water admitted to the wheel. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of thewheel detached from the case; Fig. 3, an exterior view of the wheel; Fig. 1l, a sectional plan on the line 1 2, Fig. l; Fig. 5, a plan view of the wheel with the upper portion removed; Fig. G, a detached view of a part of my improvements, and Fig. 7 a vertical section of the stationary interior of the wheel.

Similar letters refer to sim ilar parts throughout the several views.

A, the exterior casing of the wheel, is of the form represented in Fig. 4, and is supported inthe present instance on three legs B, which are secured to the foundation-plate C. lVithin the casing A is another casing, the lower flange a of which rests on and is secured to the lower flange of the casing A, the upper flange c of this inner casing coinciding with and fitting within the upper flange d ofthe exterior casing. Midway between the upper and lower flanges of this inner casing are the two annular flanges e and e', connected together by and forming a part ofthe ringf,

as best observed on reference to Fig. 2, and

to these flanges e and e an annular plate h is fitted snugly, but so that it can bc moved freely in a circle of which it forms the circumference, but can have no vertical or lateral movement'. Between the upper flange c and the flange e intervene the curved guides I), Fig. l, for directing the water to the upper portion of the wheel, and between the flange e and the lower flange a intervene similar guides for directing the water to the lower" part of the wheel.

E and E are two rings the inside of the vertical flanges of which are in close`contiguity to but not in actual contact with the exterior of the ring h and the edges of the fianges c and e', thc curved guides D for directing the water to the upper portion of the wheel passing through the horizontal flange of the ring E and the curved guides for directing the water to the lower'portion of the wheel passing through the horizontal iiange of the lower ring E', so that these two rings E and E can have a vertical movementonly, the

curved guides D preventing them from turning.

rl `he object of the annular plate 71J and the rings E and E is in order that by a partial turn of the plate the rings may be moved from and toward each other, thereby admitmitting more orless water to the Wheel at pleasure. This movement of the rings is accomplished through the medium of the devices best observed on reference to Fig. l, where a portion ot the rings E and E and the annular plate 7L is broken away the better to illustrate this portion of my improve ments. The lower end of a link t' is connected to the inside of the ring E', the lower end of another link j to the inside of the annular plate 71', and the lower end of a third link k to the lower en'd of the flange e', all the links being connected together at the top, so that on moving the annular plate h in the direction of the arrow, Fig. l, the link j must raise the link 7.: from its inclined to a vertical position, thus causing the link 'II to elevate the ring E.

Three systems of links similar to that described are arranged at equal distances apart throughout the circumference ot' the rings, so that on moving theannular plate the ring E may be elevated or lowered from three points simultaneously. lrecisely the same device is used for raising or lowering the upper ring E, so that both rings may be moved from or toward each other by one movement of the annular plate 71., and more or less water may consequently be allowed to pass between the guid e-plates D to the wheel.

The sluice or grate-box is made in two parts-namely, the upper portion F and lower portion G, Fig. l, the latter forming part of the exterior casing A, and the upper portion being so secured to thelower portion bysuitable bolts orother fastenings as to be readily detached, fora purpose described hereinafter. In the box thus constructed slides the gate H, to which is attached the spindle I, the latter passing through a stuffing-box Z on the top of the box. At the back of the gate is a recess m for receiving a piu projecting from one arm of the lever lx', (see Fig. (5,) the latter being hung loosely to the interior of the casing, the other arm of this lever having a long slot n, into which a pin j), projecting from the annular plate 7L, engages. (See Fig. l.) The recesson the back ot' the gate is of suchalength that on depressing the gate, so as to partially shut oif the water, the movement of the gate will not be communicated to the leverK until the said gate has descended a short distance, when the top ot' the recess will catch the projecting pin of the lever and cause its slotted end to so act on the pin p of the annular plate 7L as to turn the latter and move the rings E and E apart from each other. By this arrangement the amount of water allowed to pass between the curved guides D is commensurate, or nearly so, with the amount of water admitted at the gate-a most desirable end to be attained, inasmuch as the full percen tage of the power of the water is obtained, no matter whether that amount be great. or small. lt', for instance, the weatherl be dry and it be desirable to be as saving as possible of the water, the gate must be depressed and thevolume of water admitted to the interior ofthe casing consequently diminished. The extent of the openings for the admission of water between the curved guides D will be diminished in proportion by the rings E E', so that thewater loses none of its force which would be otherwise if there were no diminution of the said openings between the guides D. The wheel itself isin two parts, or rather there are two wheels J and K', both being secured to one vertical shaft L. Each Wheel is composedof the plate g, to which the shaft is connected, and of the annular plates r, s, t, and u, Fig. 3, and in the space which intervcnes between the plates t and'ztare arranged the curved buckets M, Figs. 3 and 4, and between the iianges q and Z isa series of buckets N, curved in a direction the reverse of that of the buckets M. It will be observed on reference `to Fig. 2 that these flanges q and 7', with their buckets, are slightly inclined upward. 'lhc object of this will be rendered apparent l'lereinafter.

lVithin each wheel, but free from contact with the same, is a circular block l), with concave sides of the form representedin Fig. 7,each block having a lange u fr, both tianges being bolted together and secured to the inside of the ringf ot' what I have termed the inner casing, the concave portion of each block being provided with any convenient number of vanes Q. (Best observed on reference to Fig. 2.)

The water admitted into the exterior casing beneath the gate passes between the guides D,which are so curved as to direct the streams of water in the most advantageous course against the buckets M, after passing which the water is directed against the concave sides of the blocks P and its vanes Q, the concavity of the block, together with the peculiar curve ot the vanes7 directing the water upward and against the vanes N between the flanges q and r of the wheel, from between which it escapes, not, however, before its full power has been expended rst in acting on the vanes M, and then reacting on the vanes N as it leaves the wheel and clears the latter by taking the same angular direction as that of the flanges q and r. As the water has to take an upward direction after leaving the buckets M, it is desirable that a bias in that direction should be given to the water as it strikes the latter buckets in the first instance. rlhis is accomplished by inclining the outer edges of the buckets, as seen in Fig. 3. It willbe evidentthat the waterstriking against the inclined edges must take an angular or upward direction corresponding to the inclination of the edges. The lower end of the spindle L turns in a step secured by suitable bolts to the foundation-plate C, and rendered adjustable thereon by set-screws y, the spindle passing upward through the blocks P and free from contact with the same and through the bearing S on the top of the cover-plate T, the latterhavingsuitable openings for the free escape of thewater from the upper wheel.

1t has been remarked above that the gatebox is made in two pieces, the upper piece being detachable. The object is to gain ready access to the interior of the casingwithout involving the necessity of removing the latter from its foundation. The anges of the gatebox are secured directly to the forebay, so that on removing the upper portion of the gate-box an opening to the interior of the casin g presents itself, this opening being sut iciently large for the purpose of gaining ac cess to the Wheel and removing any obstruction therefrom.

I do not desire to claim, broadly, the use of the rings E and E for admitting more or,

less Water to the wheel; but

I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The gate-box made of the two pieces I" and G, the former being detachable from the latter and both being constructed and arranged as and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. rlhe rings E and E', applied to the wheels as set forth, in combination with the annular plate h and the devices herein described or their equivalents, whereby the said rings may be moved from and toward each other by the turning of the saidsplate, as described, for the purpose specified.

3. The rings E and E and the annular plate h, in combination with the gate H and the lever K or its equivalent, the Whole being arranged and operating substantially as described, so that the movement ot' the rings may depend u ponthat of the gate.

4. The Wheel composed of the buckets N, with their inclined outer ends, and the reacting buckets M between the inclined flanges q and r, the whole being secured to the shaft L,in combination with the stationary block P, its concave sides, and curved vanes Q, the whole being arranged as and for the purpose herein described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. P. M. HANNAS.

Witnesses:

JN0. I-I. VINCENT, B. F. ARMs. 

